'Memphis Belle' B-17f Revell 1/72 (Pic heavy)

[AdrianMF]

Amazing progress, hidden in amongst the calories from fat and alcohol consumption. The most I could manage this weekend was a small slice of vanilla cheescake...

The amount interior detail in the kit is staggering (as is the number of questions it raises). Does anyone do cutaway builds any more?

Regards,

Adrian

[Spookytooth]

Watching this build come along CedB, slowly but nicely.

With of course the added interludes of food and wine.

Simon.

[jrlx]

CedB, do you think adding detail with Eduard's PE sets would be a waste of money? Would any of the additional interior detail be visible? Is the kit 's detail good enough (seems to be pretty good from your photos and detailing work).

Thanks

Jaime

[CedB]

Thanks Andy. I think I'd be tempted by those crew figures if I wasn't going to hang her on the ceiling - they look great, although delivery looks a bit slow so best to order well in advance?

Thanks Adrian. I (sort of) enjoy fiddling with the interiors and, as an OOB builder, I usually trust the manufacturer to get the detail 'right enough for me'. I'm sure some things are wrong but it's still fun to build.

Thanks Spookytooth. If you think it's been slow up until now just wait! I'm currently applying Eduard masks to the clear parts prior to a coat of IG (see windows above). I may be gone some time.

Hi Jaime. I'm not a huge fan of PE (too fiddly) although I'll use it if it's included, sometimes. This kit's detail is good enough for me. You can spend a lot on B-17 PE - this Big Ed set from Hannants is £86.40!!! It also details of the individual sets - I have the masks (applying now) and I'll let you know what I think (with photos) later. I wouldn't bother with the rest but it's personal choice and the sort of detail you want to end up with.

i shall go back to the masking from time to time (Proverbs 26:11) and post when I've managed to do something worth showing!

[jrlx]

Hi Jaime. I'm not a huge fan of PE (too fiddly) although I'll use it if it's included, sometimes. This kit's detail is good enough for me. You can spend a lot on B-17 PE - this Big Ed set from Hannants is £86.40!!! It also details of the individual sets - I have the masks (applying now) and I'll let you know what I think (with photos) later. I wouldn't bother with the rest but it's personal choice and the sort of detail you want to end up with.

Thanks, I'd much appreciate your views on the masks. I have PE sets for several of the kits in my stash but I still haven't tried any. I must confess I'm a bit obsessed with detailing and accuracy... With bombers, however, it seems most of the interior is not visible in the end, so I was wondering if it was worthwhile.

Cheers

Jaime

[rob85]

That's some great interior detail Ced it is a Shane the detail on the bigger builds like bombers gets hidden, but its enjoyable to do! Also you know its there and looks great and so do we due to your great build thread. Its appreciated!

Rob

[andymoore]

on the subject of PE for the interior - I reckon Revell have got the level of detail just right, It's hardly going to be visible from the outside, but with a photographic record & an excellent job of it as with CED's build here, the model maker can be proud of what he has achieved.

As outstanding as the level of detail is on the inside - they have gone, in my opinion, in the other direction with the outside. The front looks more like a boat than a plane & there are no little fiddly bits to fit, like pitot tubes etc, So if you were to spend additional dosh on PE, I would have a look at the exterior detailing.

[jrlx]

Andymoore, thanks for your opinions. I was also thinking that that could be a good approach.

sorry for "hijacking" the thread CedB. Back to you now

[CedB]

Thanks Rob - I enjoy doing the posts as much as the modelling so you're welcome!

Thanks Andy. I haven't really looked much at the outside yet but missing small details won't worry me too much (ceiling again) and at least they won't get knocked off!

Thanks, I'd much appreciate your views on the masks. I have PE sets for several of the kits in my stash but I still haven't tried any. I must confess I'm a bit obsessed with detailing and accuracy... With bombers, however, it seems most of the interior is not visible in the end, so I was wondering if it was worthwhile.

Cheers

Jaime

Don't worry about 'highjacking' Jaime - sharing views is part of the fun!

Regarding the masks, it's the first time I've used a set of these - I quite enjoy masking using Tamiya tape and a sharp, curved blade (explained in Paul Budzik's video here) but I'm not a masochist - there's a lot to mask on the B-17 and the frames aren't that well defined so I paid my money happily. I used the first couple on the inside of the waist windows which I had cut off the sprue with my JLC microsaw (to avoid crazing). After giving them a couple of brushed coats of VMA IG it was obvious I needed to get the airbrush out so I did some other bits too:

Having started the masking I thought I'd mask some other bits and that's where I slowed down. It's a very fiddly job, not just because the parts are so small but also because the mask material is not the same as Tamiya tape - once you've placed it if you try to push it about it tends to move back where it was, sort of elastic, so you need to pull it off and place it again. It's also not helped by the thickness of the plastic and the 'frames' - this means that a well placed mask from one angle looks crooked from another - these two shots of the same mask show what I mean:

I think this upside down 'V' shape on the left of the nose is placed well when viewing at 90^o to the part, but then turn it a bit (photo on the left) and it looks to be off the line (gap top right). See those two lines just to the right of it? Rotate it a bit more without moving the mask and it seems to be on top of the lines now. Nightmare. This probably isn't the fault of the masks as much as the plastic, but it's still a pain. I'll have another look at it when my patience is restored!

I'm going back to the waist guns (lots of bits to paint up) and then I need to wait for those windows to dry.

Thanks for looking.

[Cookenbacher]

Once again, you're one step ahead of me in adopting a new modelling tool Ced (which reminds me, I still need to pick up some Liquitex paint markers). I've been using the tape and scalpel masking technique, but am very tempted by pre-cut masks. Hmm, looks like there's advantages and disadvantages alright.

Your work on the interior detail is splendid, and leave it to you to choose the most complicated mass market kit available after your excellent Valom builds.

[CedB]

Thanks Cookie. "...leave it to you to choose the most complicated mass market kit available..." - I did WHAT!! But it is easy after the Valoms

I'm still not convinced about the masks except for complicated jobs like this one.

Bit more progress tonight. Carefully masked and sprayed the waist windows (above) and while they were drying I painted the ammunition boxes/ belts. I then fitted the windows 'open':

The boxes are True Metal aluminium and the belts are H54 metallic brass. They look... what? Where? What's green? OH MY LORD!!!

I need some wine. More tomorrow.

[philp]

Ced, you asked where the waist windows went and I found a couple pics about halfway down this page.

http://histomil.com/viewtopic.php?f=338&t=3918&start=4680

Because of the magazines of ammo on the guns these might be from B-17E models and besides, looks like you already fitted the window so this is all for moot.

[CedB]

Thanks Phil! So, they were on sliders. I think that's what Revell are trying to represent. Thanks for the link and advice, really helpful

So, after being cheered up by 'Modern Family' and a glass of wine, I watched 'Game of Thrones' (da da, da da da da...) and my problems suddenly seemed tiny. One of the problems with Vallejo Model Air (VMA) is that it doesn't stick very well unprimed. One of the benefits of VMA is that it doesn't stick very well unprimed. So with added confidence (or is it the wine?) I scraped off the VMA with one of my flat cocktail sticks / toothpicks:

Picked the masks out of the bin, reapplied them and brushed on some True Metal Aluminium:

So, back square one, with the right colour. I'll let that dry overnight.

More tomorrow, thanks for looking!

[Nigel Heath]

Good luck with that enterprise:

Picked the masks out of the bin

I hope it works out.

but am very tempted by pre-cut masks. Hmm, looks like there's advantages and disadvantages alright.

Indeed, sometimes the fit isn't that good but when they do - on a complex canopy framing - I like them a lot.

[Cookenbacher]

Nice save Ced!

[rob85]

Well caught Ced.

Great reference shots Phil, really clear and enjoyed looking through the other

Rob

[GREG DESTEC]

Great detail painting Ced. Looks like your getting close to buttoning up the beast....

[CedB]

Thanks Nigel, Cookie, Rob and Greg.

It does look as though I'm getting close but things keep slowing me down. And how many turrets does this thing have?? I'm sure I've done about ten today and I've still not finished. Anyway, the last post was those green aluminium windows and they're fitted. Again. Next step is to fit the ammo boxes (sorry, I can't type ammunition over and over again!). Would it surprise you if I said that the ammo boxes don't fit?

Surprise! Those brass bits are supposed to be the ammo belts and no way will they reach the guns. It's at times like this that I think "What would Nigel do?" (Mr Heath, of course) and I come up with a solution that's way beyond my skills. THIS time I also thought "Well, Fozzy made some belts out of tape. I could do that". Madness. So I cut a length 2mm masking tape, folded it back on itself, painted it brass and drew some lines with a pen:

Then I stuck the tape to what looked like the feed slot on the guns with some CA, let that dry, put the guns on their racks and stuck the belt to the box with PVA:

Quite pleased with those, smug wotsit. The plan is to leave the guns floating on the belts so that I can mask the windows for the top coat and then pull them out and glue them in when the things almost finished. Hmmm.

Photobucket's playing up again so I'm going to post this and try again later.

[Cookenbacher]

That looks way better than the kit part Ced. Nigel and Fozzy should be proud.

[Stew Dapple]

Ooh I do like those ammo belts Ced, nice bit of lateral thinking there

Cheers,

Stew

[CedB]

Thanks Cookie and Stew, I'm pretty chuffed too! Now, let's see if Photobucket is behaving...

Something to watch for in step 29a is fitting the tailwheel housing. There's a tempting wedge shaped slot on the fuselage and a wedge shaped end on the housing. Ignore it or you'll go barmy - the housing fits nicely on top of the hole.

I've stuck it with PVA so I can pull it off if there's any problem closing up*. Then it was turrets, turrets, turrets...

Watch out for the flash on those parts - I didn't notice until I'd stuck them together and the parts didn't fit in Step 33. I also don't think this is going to hold the turret in as the forks are a bit splayed - I may glue it in place (can't play with it on the ceiling anyway. Also watch out in step 36 - there are two sprues with 4 x part 46 on each but they're not the same length so match two guns before you put them in. And don't glue the gun mount if you want it to go up and down (ask me how I know):

Over the page for step 38. More turrets!

Thanks for looking.

* Dbl-E, score 1, fnaar fnaar. Haven't done one of those for a while!

[Spookytooth]

Looks like a lovely job going on CedB.

Like the belts.

Simon.

[sean]

Great bit of modelling there Ced, a like the way those belts have turned out, and if I may say,

quite a varied thread you've got going,

Sean

[Nigel Heath]

Very nice work on the amonition belts (see I can't spell either).

It's at times like this that I think "What would Nigel do?" (Mr Heath, of course)

Thanks for the compliment, much appreciated. You can always PM or phone me of course.

Cheers,

Nigel

[modelglue]

You guys and your pizzas... I only wish. I just finished a trial run of medication for my Heart grumbles last week, and the unfortunate bit is that after 60 days of relative peace, I stress ate a pizza (among other unfortunate animals) and dealt with the horrific/sudden effects all night! Something about the esophageal nerve cluster for reflux shared with the heart or something like that my wife said. She's got the brains.

Well, Ced, looks like you've got another one by the ears*.

I would stay longer, but I've got an awful lot of catch up to do, including checking in with our mate Rob, and seeing what spitfire madness PC has landed himself in.

Cheers for now fellas!